Researchers from the University of Oklahoma in Norman have unlocked a new antibiotic formulation that is effective in treating methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and other antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to The Norman Transcript.
The development of this new formulation took several years and was spearheaded by OU chemistry professor Charles Rice, PhD.
Regarding the process of treating deadly infections like MRSA, Dr. Rice told the Transcript, "The doctor will keep giving you [antibiotic] options until eventually you have to go to the drug of last resort...throughout that process, the patient suffers...what our discovery does is provide an option to the medical community earlier in the process, so we can stop MRSA before it causes patient harm and raises hospital costs."
According to the CDC, an estimated 72,444 people became infected with MRSA in 2014, resulting in 9,194 deaths.
Find more information on antibiotic resistance here.
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